Liverpool have qualified for the quarter-finals of the Champions League following a 3-1 win away to Bayern Munich in the second leg of their last-16 tie.
The match, which followed a goalless first leg, was finely balanced after Joel Matip's own goal had cancelled out Sadio Mane's brilliant opener.
But Virgil van Dijk, so influential in defence since his £75million signing, proved how valuable he can be at the other end with a towering far-post header for his third goal in four matches - more than he had scored in his previous 55 appearances.
It broke Bayern's resistance and, as they went chasing the two goals they needed for victory, they were picked off with Mane's late diving header ending a run of five Champions League defeats away from Anfield.
The leadership of Van Dijk, suspended for the Anfield tie, was critical as he and Matip kept the competition's leading scorer Robert Lewandowski at arm's length.
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- Liverpool’s progression means four English sides will play in the quarter-finals of the Champions League in 2018-19, the first time the competition has seen as many since 2008-09 (Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United).
- Bayern Munich have failed to qualify for the quarter-finals of the Champions League for the first time since the 2010-11 campaign, when they also fell out at this stage to Italian side Inter Milan.
- Since the start of last season, no player has provided more Champions League assists than Liverpool’s James Milner (10).
- Sadio Mane’s brace means he has now scored seven away goals in the Champions League for Liverpool, more than any other player for the club in the history of the competition (including European Cup).
- Liverpool forward Sadio Mane has scored 69% of his Champions League goals in the knockout stages of the competition (9/13); of players with at least 10 goals, only Ivica Olic (7/10 – 70%) has a higher such percentage in Champions League history.
- Joel Matip is only the fourth Liverpool player to score an own goal in the Champions League after Sami Hyypia (2007), John Arne Riise (2008) and James Milner (2018).
- Bayern Munich’s Manuel Neuer became just the sixth goalkeeper to play in 100 Champions League matches after Iker Casillas, Gianlugi Buffon, Petr Cech, Victor Valdes and Olivier Kahn.
